One Sick Puppy

A sick pup: Rosie resting on her towel with a favorite toy, her tire.

When we decided to bring Rosie into our lives I knew I'd occasionally need to clean up after her. But this weekend Rosie brought us a whole new world of pain. Homegirl fell incredibly ill late last week and turned our apartment into a "frog hole" (a term coined by Pete after returning home at 3am to...an interesting sight). My heart was broken for the poor little bug. She didn't eat or drink a thing for two full days and all she wanted to do was snuggle and her body was just so hot. One morning I got out of the shower only to find her huddled in the corner of her favorite chair, seemingly horrified that she'd thrown up ALL over it (not as horrified as me, Rosebud). The next day I brought her to the vet where she got some antibiotics, a shot of fluids, and a shot of, essentially, pepto bismol. The whole experience was a bit of a disaster, but I learned some really helpful tricks along the way that I thought I'd share.

Getting your dog to eat:

Boiled chicken and rice made with chicken broth will do the trick.

Getting your dog to drink:

He or she will happily drink (low sodium) chicken broth and the salt will help them get rehydrated. Buy chicken broth in 1 cup recipe size boxes. You can keep an open box in the fridge like a juice box and feed it to your pup a little at a time. (1 cup over time was plenty to give Rosie, who is 14lbs, clear urine.)

Cleaning hardwood floors:

If you are cleaning something that has dried, use warm water to remove. Disinfect with a bleach based cleaner (you wont harm the surface of your floors if you quickly apply and then wipe off). Finish up with a swiffer (it'll remove the bleach smell).

Cleaning rugs and upholstery:

Get to the stain as soon as you can. If there is any solid matter, you can remove with a dull knife. If it's really stuck, pre-treat with warm water and then use the knife. Blot stains with a clean (white) cloth, old t-shirt, or paper towels. Use a mix of warm water and dish soap (clear) and apply directly to stain. Continue to alternate between blotting and applying a mixture of water and dish soap, blotting always with a clean towel. The stain should eventually be removed. On a rug, you can place a towel over the cleaned area with a heavy book on top of the towel. Leave for a few hours and then air dry. (Particularly helpful with a liquid stain like urine.)